A Heart Divided
by Kutlessrocker
Summary: Crystal, apprentice of Master Terra, struggles with her inner-Darkness.  Will she learn to control her Darkness, or will she fall like her Master before her?  Will her best friend Kevin, apprentice of Master Aqua, help her in time?  Bad summary.
1. A Heart Divided

Author's Note: Hello again. Here's my latest idea. Kingdom Hearts: A Heart Divided. Just one thing before I go on, if you haven't read my stories, "Shattered Hearts" and "Hearts of the Olympians", then I suggest you read them before going any further. There are references to those stories here and these three stories take place in the same storyline. If you have read them already, then enjoy. This probably won't be very long. I have most of it typed already. This will follow my two original characters, Kevin and Crystal. It's more about Crystal than Kevin, though, and her personal struggle with her Darkness. Enjoy, friends...

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><p>On a sunny day outside Castle Oblivion, two young Keyblade apprentices were locked in an intense sparring match. One was a young man who was about seventeen years old. He was tall with shoulder-length blond hair and sky-blue eyes. He wore a black t-shirt, faded jeans, and black combat boots. He had an expression of unbreakable concentration on his face.<p>

The other was a beautiful, sixteen-year-old girl. She too had long, blond hair, but the irises of her eyes were gold, as if she were someone from the Darkness. She was shorter than the man, but just as strong. She matched his every move, as he matched her every move. She wore a light-blue tank top and darker jeans than her opponent, but she wore the same combat boots.

On their belts, they had the emblem of their masters, a gold heart with three spikes protruding from the bottom in a "T" shape. The man was the apprentice of Master Aqua, a powerful Keyblade Master. The girl was the apprentice of Master Terra, Aqua's oldest and dearest friend. The two, young apprentices were very close friends as well. They trained together with their Keyblades every day in hopes of showing their masters that they had what it takes to earn the Mark of Mastery. They promised each other that they would both pass and together they would take apprentices of their own just like their masters.

They eventually wore each other down and their mock fight ended in a draw. They both collapsed onto the white, snow-like ground beneath them. "Geez, Crystal," the young man said, addressing the girl, "at this rate, you're going to pass me up and graduate before me!"

She smiled at him and said, "Oh come on, Kevin. It took everything I had to keep from losing."

"Same here," Kevin said. "You really are getting stronger."

"Thanks," Crystal said, smiling at Kevin. "But you probably would have beat me if we were using magic." Kevin's master, Aqua, specialized in magic. As a result, that was his specialty as well. Crystal's master, Terra, was all about brute strength and that is what she learned from him. She could cast decent spells, but only the spells that ended in "ra". Kevin could cast spells as high-ranking as the ones that ended with "ga".

"Maybe," he said. "Maybe not. Master Terra has been teaching you how to control your Darkness to your advantage, hasn't he?" Crystal was inclined to Darkness like her master before her. That was the reason her eyes were golden.

"Yes, but he's also warned me to not use it unless I absolutely have to, like a life or death situation," she said. "He said it could destroy me if I left it unchecked." Terra knew all too well what happened when you let your Darkness take control. Twenty years ago, he had lost everything thanks to his inability to control his Darkness. "I wonder…" she said, staring at her Keyblade. It was about three-and-a-half feet long. The slightly curved blade was gray like iron, but it was made of some type of steel. It was also special in the fact that it was sharp, something that seemed to be uncommon with Keyblades. The teeth looked like the sharp, jagged stalactites from the roof of a cave. The hilt was gray like the blade and shaped like the mouth of a cavern. The Keychain was a large diamond that was connected to the Keyblade by a white, braided rope.

"You wonder what?" Kevin said with curiosity in his voice.

"I wonder why the Keyblades chose us," she said. "Don't get me wrong, I love it. But I just wonder why us? It could have just as easily been someone else, right?" She knew that there were other Keyblade wielders out there, and many more who would kill to be able to use a Keyblade.

"I don't know," Kevin replied. He looked at his own Keyblade. It was three feet long, slightly shorter than Crystal's, but just as sharp. The blade was colored black and had the elemental symbols for Fire, Blizzard, Thunder, Aero, Cure, Gravity, and Stop magic written down the length of the blade to enhance those specific spells and show that he specialized in magic. The teeth were shaped like the outline of a crown, similar to the Kingdom Key. His Keychain was a simple, round token with his name inscribed on one side, and Aqua's name on the other.

Kevin looked up to Aqua and held great reverence for her. He was orphaned at the age of seven. A Dancer Nobody killed his parents right in front of him. Aqua found him when he was ten and raised him while she taught him the ways of the Keyblade. She was the closest thing to a mother he had left. And he loved her like she was his mother.

Crystal wasn't orphaned like Kevin, she never even knew her family. Terra found a nine-year-old Crystal in the streets of Radiant Garden while he was visiting Ansem the Wise and she looked so scared. He saw her big, gold eyes and realized she was full of Darkness. He took her out of pity and compassion. She was raised to control the Darkness that Terra saw in her. Terra was like a father to her. She loved him like a father and he treated her like a daughter.

"Let's head back inside," Kevin said.

"Sure, what time is it?" she asked.

"About five," he answered. "Why?"

"Oh my God!" Crystal screamed, jumping to her feet. "I was supposed to meet Master Terra half an hour ago! He had something important he wanted to tell me." And with that, she ran toward the castle and left Kevin wondering what Terra could have to say to her that was so important.

Crystal ran through the stark white halls of Castle Oblivion. She barged through every door without even looking where she was going. She had the castle memorized. After a while, she finally made it to the main auditorium where her beloved master was waiting. "Master," she addressed him reverently, "I'm sorry for being late. Kevin and I were having a duel and it went on longer than I expected."

"I know," he said. "I was watching you both from the window. I'm very impressed by your skills, but that also brings me to what I wanted to talk to you about." Crystal was wondering what their friendly fight had to do with anything but training. "I noticed an aura of Darkness around you while you were fighting. It was barely noticeable, but it was still there."

"But what's the big deal about a little Darkness, Master?" she asked. Darkness was part of her nature. She couldn't exactly get rid of it completely.

"There's nothing wrong with a little Darkness," he said, "but there is something wrong with a lot of Darkness. I felt it growing more powerful toward the end of the fight. I don't think you were consciously summoning it, but you need to be more careful."

"But what's so bad about the Darkness anyway? Why do you tell me it will kill me if I use it too much when it's a part of who I am?" she questioned. Terra wasn't making any sense to her.

"Because it just is," he said sternly, showing that he was finished with the subject.

"So, am I evil?" she asked. Crystal wasn't about to drop the subject like Terra had wanted. She was too stubborn, a quality that had rubbed off on her from Terra himself. "I am Darkness! It is just as much a part of me as Light is a part of Kevin! How can I reject my own nature?"

"You're not evil, Crystal," he said. "And Darkness isn't all of you, just a part. That part needs to be kept in check." Crystal, having heard enough of her Master's rambling, turned and started to run away. "Come back, Crystal!" the aging Keyblade Master called to his student, but it was no use. She was already running out the door and had donned her Keyblade Armor.

"I can't stay here anymore," she thought. "I guess I have to find some answers myself since Master won't tell me." She turned her Keyblade into a Keyblade Glider that was shaped like a motorcycle and took off toward the stars. She didn't look back at Castle Oblivion as she went to the one world she knew she would find someone who understood. That world was the Destiny Islands.

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><p>Kevin sat alone on the ground after Crystal ran to meet her Master. "I wonder what was so important that she took off like that," he mused. He had sat there for about fifteen minutes when he saw something dart across the sky. He recognized it as Crystal's Keyblade Glider. "Where is she going?" he asked rhetorically. He turned around to see Terra running toward him. "Master Terra, where's Crystal going?" he asked.<p>

"I don't know," he answered. "I was talking to her about her Darkness, and then she got upset and ran away. I'm afraid she might get into trouble." Terra's heart was breaking. His apprentice was following the same pattern that he had all those years ago. He too had set off on his own to find answers about his Darkness. He feared for his beloved pupil. Terra didn't want her to suffer the same fate he had. He almost didn't make it out alive. "Kevin, I need you to follow her, find her, and bring her back home. She hasn't set off on her own like this before. She might get hurt, or worse."

"Don't worry, Master Terra," he said. "I'll bring her back. I won't let you down." Kevin threw his Keyblade and it transformed into his Glider. His glider was shaped like a motorcycle too, but the shape was different. Crystal's Glider was sleeker while Kevin's was bulky. "Goodbye, Master Terra," he said as he flew off into the vast expanse of space.

"Be careful, Kevin," Terra whispered once the apprentice had cleared the atmosphere. His heart pained at the thought of what may be to come. The memories of what happened twenty years ago flooded his mind.

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><p>Crystal had been flying through the Lanes Between for hours. She arrived at the Destiny Islands and landed on the main island. It was a beautiful sight. Ocean stretched before her as far as she could see. She had never been there before, but Terra and Aqua had told her about it. She thought it was even more beautiful than they had described. She wanted to stay on that beach all day and swim in the ocean, but she had more important things to take care of.<p>

She walked through the streets of the small town, looking for someone, anyone really. She came across a muscular man with sandy blond hair, blue eyes, and tanned skin. "Excuse me, sir," she said.

"Hey," the man said. "I'm Tidus. I don't remember ever seeing you around here before. Where are you from?"

"My name is Crystal. I'm not from around here. I'm looking for someone. Do you know a Riku?" She had heard about Riku before. Terra told her about how Sora, Riku, and Kairi defeated the threat of the Heartless and the Nobodies seven years ago. The Heartless and Nobodies were still around, but it was nothing the Keyblade wielders around the universe couldn't handle. She had never fought a Heartless or Nobody, but she had been trained to.

"Oh yeah, I know Riku," Tidus said. "He lives in that house over there." Tidus pointed to the suburban home across the street.

"Thanks, Tidus," she said. She walked over to Riku's home and knocked on his door.

A tall, muscular man with long, silver hair and emerald eyes answered the door. "Can I help you?" he asked.

"Hi, are you Riku?" she asked. "My name is Crystal. I'm the apprentice of Master Terra. I need someone to talk to."

"I'm Riku," he said. "So, you're Crystal. Terra has told me great things about you. And you're even more beautiful than I imagined." Crystal blushed at the comment. She never thought of herself as very beautiful. She knew she was pretty, but she didn't let it get to her. She didn't really care about her appearance. "Come on in and sit down. My friends, Sora and Kairi, should be here any minute with their kids."

Riku's house was very nice on the inside. The living room had hardwood floor. There was a couch against the wall to the right of the door. Two chairs were in the middle of the room and a large, HD TV was hanging from the wall with a PS3 and Xbox 360 plugged into it. '_Twenty-five years old and he still plays video games_?' Crystal thought to herself. There were different decorations all over the walls. Pictures of Riku's friends and family were framed and neatly arranged. In the corner next to the door there was a large, deep-sea fishing pole, some harpoons, and a trident for when he went fishing. A large fish she didn't recognize hung on the wall just below his TV. That must be the biggest fish he had ever caught.

She sat on one of the chairs while Riku sat on the other. "So, what brings you to the Destiny Islands?"

"I actually came here to see you. I have to ask you about the Darkness of the Heart."

Riku's eyes widened. For the first time, he noticed her yellow eyes. "You're close to the Darkness, aren't you?" he asked, his voice uneasy.

"Yes," she said. "It's part of my nature. Master says I need to control it, but it just finds its way into everything. It does me no good to try to stop it. It's as much a part of me as Light is for everyone else."

"Terra is right. I'm sorry, but that's the truth. It may be a part of your nature, but it's like a fire. It just consumes and destroys until there's nothing left but Darkness. I know because I've given in to the Darkness before. It nearly destroyed my heart. I lost everything; my home, my family, and even my friends. I tried to kill Sora out of jealousy, and he's my best friend." There was pain in Riku's voice. The memories of his adolescence haunted him and he never completely forgave himself for what he had done ten years ago.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Riku," she said. "But what I want to know is, how can I suppress something that is such a part of who I am? How do you do it?"

"It's very hard. I have to keep myself in check every day. If I slip up, I'm as good as gone. But I can tell it's even more a part of you than it ever was me, or your Master for that matter. Your golden eyes are a sign of a Darkness-controlled person. But you don't appear to be controlled by it."

"But that's the point I'm trying to get. It's a part of who I am." She didn't delve into the truth about her origins. She was abandoned, yes, but she never had a family in the Realm of Light. She had been born in the Realm of Darkness. The Dark Realm expelled her when she was six and she appeared in Radiant Garden shortly after it was restored. She never knew her family and grew up among Pureblood Heartless. She never fought them. They never attacked her for some reason. "The Darkness doesn't control me, but I am a part of it just as it is a part of me. I don't understand how I can suppress something that is such a big part of my being!"

Riku looked down at his shoes and started to say something, but was interrupted by a knock on the door. He got up and walked toward the door. He looked through the little window near the top and saw Sora and Kairi waiting on the other side. He let his best friends in and their two kids followed.

They had two children that looked about five years old. One was a boy. He had violet-blue eyes and blood-red hair like Kairi. Crystal thought he was the cutest thing she had ever seen.

The little girl had messy chocolate-brown hair and big, cerulean eyes like her father. She looked like a little angel. Crystal couldn't help but go 'Awww," in her mind at the sight of Sora and Kairi's two beautiful children.

"Sora, Kairi," Riku said. He hugged his best friends and they sat on the couch. The two children sat on the floor and played with the big, yellow ball they brought. "This girl is Crystal," he said, introducing her to them. "She's the apprentice of Master Terra that we've heard so much about."

"Welcome to the Destiny Islands," Sora greeted. "I'm Sora and this is my wife, Kairi. We've been married for six years." Sora hugged his wife closer and Crystal could see that he deeply loved her. Crystal wanted someone to love her like that. She'd never had a boyfriend. Kevin was the closest person she had, and they never dated. They were afraid of ruining their friendship.

"Pleasure to meet you both," she said. "Master has told me great things about you three. He said he owes you guys a lot."

"We were only doing what was right. We couldn't just let the Heartless, Organization XIII, and the Olympians take over," Kairi said. Crystal didn't remember much about the Heartless Invasion and Organization XIII since she was so little and had just arrived in the Realm of Light, but she was a little older when the Nobodies of the Olympians came and tried to take over this galaxy, the Milky Way galaxy, and the Pegasus galaxy and she could remember that. "Sora, I don't feel so good," Kairi said just before she fainted.

"Kairi!" Crystal said. She started to get up and see if Kairi was alright, but she started feeling strange. She grabbed her throbbing head and seconds later, she blacked out.

When Crystal finally came to, she woke up in a bed on the second floor of Riku's house. Riku was standing in the corner with his arms crossed, staring at the floor. She looked at him and tilted her head to the side. He looked up and saw that she had finally woken up. "You're awake. That's good. You've been out for fifteen minutes."

"What happened? Why did I pass out?" She was trying to wrap her brain around how she could have possibly fainted. She'd had perfect health her whole life. She hardly even got sick. "Is Kairi alright?"

"Kai woke up a few minutes ago. I don't know what happened," he said. "You two seemed fine for a while, but then you just went out cold. I wonder…"

"You wonder what?"

"Maybe it's because Kairi is a Princess of Heart and you're a Child of Darkness. That's the only thing I can think of. You two are polar opposites. The proximity between you two must have been too much for you both to handle."

"Kairi's a Princess of Heart?" Crystal asked, shocked that she actually had the chance to meet one. Terra and Aqua told her about them, but they never mentioned who were the current Princesses. "Wow, I'm honored to have had the chance to meet a real Princess of Heart!"

"How much of your heart is Darkness, Crystal?" Riku asked, as if her answer would shed light on a vitally important question.

"Nearly all of it," she said. "The truth is, I was born in the Realm of Darkness. I lived there among the Heartless until I was six. Then, I appeared on Radiant Garden and lived on the streets for three years until Master Terra found me. I hardly have any light inside me at all. I'm pure Darkness."

"I see," he said. "Then it's important you never get too close to Kairi or another Princess of Heart, ever."

"Why?"

"Because, you could accidentally create the X-blade."

"What's the X-blade?" Crystal had never heard of it before. She wondered why Terra had never mentioned it before if it was this important. Didn't he know that she was bound to cross paths with a Princess of Heart sometime in her life?

"It's a special kind of Keyblade that is created when a heart of pure light and pure Darkness are fused into one. Its sole purpose is to unlock the door to Kingdom Hearts. One of the personalities that is used as the catalyst controls the new body while the other is completely powerless. Most of the time, the Darkness side wins."

"Have you seen this happen?" She was curious now.

"No, but your master has. He and Aqua once knew a boy named Ventus. Master Xehanort took him and split his Darkness from him. It created a being called Vanitas. Ven and Vanitas fought at the Keyblade Graveyard and the contact allowed the X-blade to be created. Ven was possessed by Vanitas and almost lost his selfhood. He defeated Vanitas in his heart while Aqua fought him in the physical world. Unfortunately, killing Vanitas collapsed Ven's heart, leaving him as an empty shell. Ven's fractured heart eventually made its way here and he fused with Sora. Ventus is no more. The closest thing left of him is Sora's Nobody, Roxas."

Crystal just looked at Riku, soaking in what he had just told her. She wondered why Terra and Aqua hadn't mentioned Ventus before if they had been such good friends. There seemed to be a lot they never told her, which only served to fuel her resentment more. Darkness seeped its way deeper into her heart. She no longer tried to restrain it. She welcomed her Darkness. She didn't believe her master or Riku that the Darkness would eventually destroy her heart.

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><p>Kevin flew through the void of space. "Where am I even going?" he asked himself. He had nothing to go by except what he felt in his heart. Crystal and Kevin's hearts seemed to resonate with each other. He hoped that he would be able to sense where she went.<p>

He was having no such luck. He couldn't feel his best friend anymore. That scared him. "Maybe she's just too far away," he thought. He started to think about their relationship. They'd know each other for seven years. She was his best friend. But lately, he'd started to feel different than he used to. He started to notice the little things first. He noticed how her hair smelled like strawberries-a result of the shampoo she used-and he loved that smell. He also noticed her golden eyes. When they were kids, they scared him. He'd seen those same eyes on the Heartless that he had to run away from. But now, he saw them as something beautiful, something that made her unique. Kevin was falling for his best friend.

He saw something in the distance. It was a tiny world that was covered in dense forest. He suddenly felt a strong urge to go there. "Maybe Crystal is there," he said as he descended into the planet's atmosphere. His Keyblade Armor kept him from burning up in reentry.

Kevin landed after a slow descent to the surface. His Keyblade Glider transformed back into his Keyblade and he dismissed it for now. He didn't see any threats in the immediate area. He was standing a clearing in the middle of a large bamboo thicket. There was a lone rock in the center of the clearing. There was also a broken jawbone from what appeared to be a long-deceased leopard. There was a tooth missing from the jawbone. Kevin just kept walking, though. He had a job to do. He had to find the person he cared about the most. He wasn't about to let something bad happen to her.

He walked through a ravine and found himself at a lagoon full of hippos. He knew that they could be dangerous if provoked. He tried to be as quiet as possible as he walked through the small area.

Up ahead, he saw two figures. One looked like a man and the other was a woman. He picked up his speed and jogged over to them. The man was moderately tall. He may have been taller, but he was slouched over like a gorilla. He had long, brown, greasy hair and wore nothing but a loin cloth. The woman was a little more civilized-looking. She was tall as well. She wore a brown, animal skin tank top and a matching skirt. She had long, thin, brown hair and was very pale despite having the appearance of someone who lived in the jungle. "Excuse me," Kevin called to them. "My name is Kevin. Have you seen a girl named Crystal around here? She's a little shorter than me. She has long, blond hair and golden eyes."

They both turned to look at him. The man pierced Kevin with his deep-set, dark eyes. He looked like he was sizing him up for a fight. The woman just looked at him kindly. "Please excuse my husband," she said in a sweet British accent. "My name is Jane and this is Tarzan." She seemed like a nice woman. "I'm sorry. I haven't seen anyone like that around here."

"Thanks anyway," Kevin said. "I guess I'll be on my way."

"Are you sure you don't want to stay a little while longer?" she asked.

"I'm sorry, but it's kind of important that I find her. She's my best friend and I'm afraid something bad is going to happen to her. I love her too much to let anything happen to her."

"Well then, I guess you should get…" Jane started to say, but she was interrupted by a rumbling in the ground. It was as if the ground was seriously mad at them for something. A giant fissure opened on an island across the lagoon from Kevin, Tarzan, and Jane. Kevin drew his Keyblade and Tarzan readied his long, wooden spear.

From the fissure, a giant monster crawled out. It was a Giga Shadow. It looked similar to a standard Shadow, except it was about ten feet tall. It stared at Kevin with its yellow eyes that reminded him so much of Crystal.

Kevin, like Crystal, had never fought a Heartless before. They never came to Castle Oblivion and he had never left the castle since Master Aqua found him. Kevin summoned all of his strength and completely jumped over the large, murky body of water. He coated his Keyblade in Thundaga magic and attempted to drive the cold, electrified steel into the creature's brain with the powerful Thunder Edge attack. The Giga Shadow jumped out of the way at the last second and Kevin's Keyblade was buried into the dirt. He struggled to pull his now-embedded sword from the ground as the Shadow took a swipe at him with its large, black claw. Kevin just barely got out of the way. The Heartless' fingertips barely cut his shirt. It broke his skin a little, but not enough to make Kevin bleed. Tarzan wildly swung his spear at the Child of Darkness. The Giga Shadow knocked him away and into the water with no problems. It was clear that this was a one-on-one fight.

Kevin realized that the Giga Shadow was too much for him to handle. He dismissed his Keyblade and concentrated. He was summoning the most powerful spell Aqua had taught him, Mega Flare. The giant, swirling ball of unquenchable fire charged up and he unloaded it onto the Dark being. The Heartless screamed in pain as it was incinerated by the white-hot flame.

"Whew, thank God that's taken care of," Kevin said in relief. "Thanks for your help, Tarzan."

"You're welcome," the wild man said with a deep, yet normal sounding voice. Kevin was shocked at his ability to speak clearly. Jane must have taken a lot of time to teach him.

"I really have to be going. Thank you for all your help."

"Goodbye," Jane said. Kevin donned his Keyblade armor once again and set off into the deepest part of space in search of his beloved friend.

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><p>Author's Note: So, what do you think? Next chapter soon. It's already typed, I just have to post it. Remember to follow "Her Scars" and "Hearts of the Olympians." Until next time, friends...<p> 


	2. Darkness of the Heart

Author's Note: Hey guys. Here's the rest of what I already had typed of "A Heart Divided." Thank you to the people who reviewed and thanks to everyone who reads and enjoys this story. It makes me happy to know that people like what I write. Special thanks to Dragginninja. Check out his Nobody's Heartless series. Four stories in all that are crucial to each other's plot lines. Look for his characters, Kirox and Xorik in future chapters of "Her Scars." They will be regulars along with John from my story, "Shattered Hearts." My original character, John, makes a cameo appearance in the tenth chapter of his story, "Nobody's Heartless: Organization Days." Enjoy, friends...

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><p>Crystal sat in the bed, alone, and tried to rest. Riku had left her alone a few minutes before. She kept thinking about her Darkness. She couldn't figure out what made it so bad. She also felt awful for what happened with her and Kairi. She couldn't help but blame herself. She almost accidentally created another X-blade right in Riku's own living room! She tried to go to sleep, but was awoken by two people talking in the hallway. She recognized the voices as belonging to Sora and Riku. They seemed to be arguing about something.<p>

"She's too dangerous, Sora, and you know that!" Riku said sternly to his best friend.

"But what do you want us to do, Riku," he said, slightly aggravated. "You gonna kill her?"

"I don't know. If she lets her Darkness get too powerful, then maybe we might have to."

"I can't believe you're even considering this! You of all people have no right to judge her!" Sora said. He was fuming now. Crystal felt touched that someone actually cared about her.

"I know, I know," Riku said as he tried to calm his friend. "And I paid for that mistake. But, even at my darkest, I never had the potential to create the X-blade like she does. She Is Dangerous! She could hurt Kairi, who is your wife and the mother of your children! Alice, Belle, Cinderella, Snow White, Aurora, and Jasmine are at risk as well. Do you want another Keyblade War to happen?"

"No, but she's a human being! She's not just some dark monster like Vanitas was. She has a heart and a soul! She has people who love her. Master Terra, Master Aqua, and that apprentice that Aqua is teaching, they would all miss her if she died and they would never forgive you for killing her. I'm sure she can keep away from Kairi and the others without it ending in her death!"

"I'm not too sure of that, Sora. It's an awfully big risk. It only takes a few minutes of them being around each other. She has to die so we can be sure the danger is gone."

"Well, don't expect me to be the one to end her. You have to do it if it has to be done."

Crystal drew her Keyblade under the covers, out of sight from anyone who might come in the room. Riku walked in and stared at her with despair in his emerald eyes. Sora was behind him. Both had their Keyblades in hand. "You're going to kill me, aren't you?" Her big, golden eyes welled up with tears as Riku slowly walked toward her, his Way to the Dawn Keyblade raised in his normal fighting stance.

Riku stopped at her bedside and raised his blade, preparing to decapitate her. "Please forgive me, Crystal." He swung the blade, but was surprised when it didn't make contact with her throat; it made contact with her Keyblade. "What the…?"

"I'm sorry, Riku," she said as she pushed him back. She jumped from the bed and slashed at the young Keyblade Master. He dodged the attack and hit her on her stomach with the blunt side of his Keyblade, knocking the breath out of her as she fell to the ground.

"Please, don't make this harder for me than it already is," Riku said. "I don't want to do this!"

"Then don't do it! Please, I don't want to die," Crystal pleaded.

"I'm sorry, but I'm just looking out for the rest of the universe."

"I understand, but I also need to look out for myself. I'm sorry," she said as she engaged Riku in a Keyblade duel in the too-small bedroom. He was fast, but she was faster. She deflected every attack he threw at her easily. He was fighting for his life. She took the blunt end of her Keyblade and hit him square on the forehead. The impact knocked him out. She wasn't going to reduce to his level and kill him. "Sora, I'm so sorry, but you have to understand. I had to defend myself."

"It's ok, at least you didn't kill him. I'll take care of him. Just get out of here before he wakes up." Crystal dashed out of the room and through the house. She passed Kairi and the kids in the living room.

"Crystal," Kairi said, "where are you going?"

"I have to get out of here. Riku tried to kill me. He wants me dead because you and I could form something called the X-blade. I had to knock Riku out so I could get away from him."

"Don't worry, I understand. Riku can be irrational at times, but don't hold it against him. He's just afraid. He knows what the Darkness can do. I'm sure it was hard for him to attack you."

"Yeah. I'm sorry our first meeting didn't go so well."

"It's ok. I've been through worse. Goodbye, Crystal," Kairi said. She was very friendly to Crystal even though she had just attacked her best friend. Princesses of Heart were supposed to be very kind women, but Crystal didn't know they were that kind.

"Goodbye Kairi. Goodbye kids," she said, addressing Kairi's sweet children.

Bye bye," the said in unison. They were beyond adorable.

Crystal darted from Riku's home and ran down the street to the little stretch of beach she first set foot on when she landed. She threw her Keyblade and it transformed into her sleek, motorcycle-like Keyblade Glider. She summoned her armor and once again took to the stars. She was going to have to start getting used to the cold, loneliness of space.

* * *

><p>She had no idea where she was going. She was just looking for somewhere she would be alone, where no one would try to kill her, and where she could think about things. The name of a world kept repeating endlessly through her head, "Keyblade Graveyard." She set her navigation with the name and the coordinates appeared on the little screen. She set a course for the Keyblade Graveyard not knowing what to expect.<p>

Crystal arrived at the Keyblade Graveyard half an hour later. She landed on the barren terrain and took a good look at her surroundings. Hundreds, no, thousands of Keyblades were stuck in the ground, most likely serving as grave markers. Terra told her of the Keyblade War that was fought long ago, but she just realized that this was the place it had happened. There were mesas that had entire chunks blasted away from them. Enormous craters dotted the desolate, unforgiving landscape. She was struck breathless by the thought of how many people must have died there. The Keyblades showed just how many there were, and that was too many to even begin to count. The beautiful young woman's dark heart pained at the thought of all the casualties. They were people like her, Keyblade wielders. They obviously had families, loved ones, Masters, apprentices, and maybe even children. She instantly knew that there had been no survivors, no victor. The only thing that had come out of that war was pain and death.

She wandered around the wasteland that was a gravesite for so many fallen Keyblade wielders. Crystal had no idea where she was going. She started to give up on finding any answers when she felt a strange presence near her. It was familiar, but not someone she knew. It was someone like her, close to the Darkness. She turned to see a tall man wearing a black, hooded trenchcoat. He was leaning against the cliffside, crossing his arms across his chest. "Who are you? Please, I need someone to talk to about something important," she called to the mysterious figure.

"I'm Nobody," the man replied dryly. "I used to be Somebody, but now I'm Nobody."

"Are you a Nobody, or just nobody?" she asked.

"Both," he said. He chuckled a little bit. "My heart was shattered ten years ago, and now, I'm condemned to this form for the rest of my life. I'm a Nobody and nobody."

Crystal was confused by the man's words. "Can you stop speaking in riddles and just give me your name already?" She was getting irritated by him.

He shifted his weight so that he was standing straight up. He removed his hood to reveal his true appearance. He was an older man, about thirty years old. He had long, jet-black hair that came down past his shoulders. His most prominent feature, however, was his amber eyes. They were a darker shade than Crystal's golden eyes. His eyes were closer to red, while hers were closer to yellow. She thought he was attractive, but there was also something off about him that pretty much killed it for her. "Please excuse my manners. My name is John, formerly number XV of Organization XIII. I was a member for all of five minutes before I learned it was just a trick, that their Superior never intended to let me join, and their number II tried to murder me."

"I'm sorry to hear that. You seem like a good person. My name is Crystal. I'm the apprentice of Master Terra, the greatest Keyblade Master who ever lived."

"I know who you are," John plainly stated. "And I know who Terra is. I've watched over you all your life. That's what I am, an observer, a watcher. I watch things happen and learn about the people I watch. I know everything about you, Crystal. I even know what your future holds. I know your whole life, even the day you will die."

John was seriously starting to scare her. "You know my future? How do you know what's going to happen to me if I don't even know?"

"I'm a time traveller. I can go forward and backward as I please. The only condition is that I can't change the fact that I turned into a Nobody. An old friend of mine said it was our 'Blessing and Curse'."

"Well then, if you know what my future holds, then tell me. What's going to happen to me? Will I conquer my Darkness, or will it kill me?"

"I can't tell you. You'll disrupt the flow of time. Things have to play out the way they are meant to. Any knowledge I give you, whether it be good or bad, will change how things turn out and it will have disastrous consequences. I don't want the blood of countless people on my hands."

"So, you can help me, but you won't," she said.

"Oh, I want to help you, believe me," he said. "I was the one who called you here from the void of space."

"Why did you want me to come here if you didn't tell me anything?"

John held up his right hand and a blue energy sword that was pulsing with raw power appeared in his hand. "So I can test your ability," he said, drawing his other sword and wielding both in a reverse grip. "Think fast, beautiful."

John charged at Crystal faster than anything she'd ever seen before. It was almost as if he was slowing down time around her. She raised her Keyblade at just the right moment to deflect John's white-hot blades. She could feel the heat radiating from the powerful Nobody's swords. He kept attacking her and she defended every blow. She was getting nowhere with this. He would eventually wear her down and finish her off. She had to think of something. Terra had only taught her basic magic since he wasn't very proficient with magic in the first place. She tried to cast Stopra on John, but he remained unaffected by it. He combined his swords at their handles into a dual-bladed weapon so he could unleash a graceful, deadly flurry on Crystal. It took everything she had to deflect all of them. One slash made it through her guard and cut her left side at her waist. She wanted to scream in pain, but kept her composure and concentrated on deflecting the blows. She didn't know if she was bleeding, but that didn't matter. She cast Cura on herself to heal the small wound.

All hope seemed lost for her until she got an idea. She remembered a decently powerful move her Master had taught her. She charged the static electricity in the air and made a ring of Thundara around her. She jumped forward and unleashed Thunder Surge on John and he was stunned from the sudden jolt. She took advantage of this to get in a few good slashes with her Keyblade and he fell at her feet. "You're good, I'll give you that. Your style reminds me so much of your Master," he said, admitting defeat.

"You know Master?" she asked with shock in her voice.

"Not really know, but I did fight him once to test his strength. It was just a few weeks ago for me, but I had gone back into the past twenty years to test him in his prime. I also tested Master Aqua and Ventus."

"I enjoyed fighting you," she said respectfully. John didn't seem like a bad guy to her. "But I need to ask you something. I know you probably won't tell me, but will I control my Darkness or will it destroy me? Please, I came all this way looking for answers."

"I really wish I could say, Crystal. But I can't tell you. I can say this, though. Remember who your friends are. Your true friends will be the thing you need the most in the coming weeks. Be ready for anything." John's voice held some dark emotions because he knew exactly what was coming her way. He knew her fate, but was bound to never reveal what the future held.

"Thank you, John," she said. The beautiful, dark angel felt a bond between them form deep in her dark heart.

John was shocked when Crystal suddenly wrapped her arms around him in a friendly embrace. "What are you doing?"

"Giving you a hug," she said. "We are friends, right?" She smiled at him and all the pieces of his shattered heart melted.

"I guess so," he said, his cheeks even redder than his eyes.

"We are," she said. "I guess I have to be going now, though."

"Where are you going?" he said.

"I don't know. Maybe Radiant Garden," she said. "That's the first place I appeared in the Realm of Light. That place has to hold some significance."

"Well, I wish you the best, Crystal," John said. "I really hope you find what you're looking for."

"I do too," she said. "John, if you can't say anything else, just tell me this. Will I ever see you again?" She prayed he would say yes. Her big, golden eyes opened wide in anticipation of what he would say.

"Don't worry, I'll be a big part of your future," he said. He kept his voice normal, not showing any emotions. She couldn't tell if what he said was a good thing or a bad thing.

* * *

><p>Kevin was starting to get fed up with not knowing where to find Crystal. He was also getting worried about her. "I've got to find Crystal. Even if it kills me, I'll find her," he said. He didn't know what world to go to next. He told himself that the next world he passed, he'd land and look for her.<p>

Just then, he saw something dart across from him. It looked just like a Keyblade Glider. "Crystal?" he called out, knowing that his voice wouldn't reach her. He turned toward the direction of the Glider and chased it to its destination.

When he got closer, he saw that it was Crystal's Keyblade Glider. She was going to Radiant Garden. They both descended into the atmosphere and landed at the Rising Falls in front of Hollow Bastion castle. "Crystal!" he yelled to his best friend.

She dismissed her Keyblade Armor and turned to see Kevin. "Kevin, is that really you?" Her face lit up with joy and she ran over to her dearest and closest friend. "What are you doing here?"

"I've been looking for you for two days, Crystal," he said. "Master Terra sent me after you. He wants me to bring you home. Please come home with me! Our Masters are so worried about you."

"I can't come home yet," she said. "I have to find some answers about my Darkness. I was sent to the Realm of Light for a reason."

"What do you mean 'sent to the Realm of Light?'" he asked. She had never told him that she was born in the Realm of Darkness.

"I never told you the truth about where I'm from, did I?" she said sorrowfully, realizing that she never told him about that part of her life. She took in a deep breath to gather the strength to reveal her origins to Kevin. "I wasn't born in the Realm of Light, Kevin. I'm from the Realm of Darkness. That's why my eyes are yellow, my heart is pure Darkness. I never knew a family. The closest thing to a family I had was a group of Neoshadows that I would run around with. They protected me from that really big Darkside."

"Crystal," he said, astonished at the revelation, "I had no idea that you were from the Realm of Darkness. I had no idea that you were that dark." He didn't know how to react. He had always been told that people from the Darkness were nothing but evil, but this was Crystal! He'd known her for so long and she never showed any signs of being evil. She was his best friend and he loved her so much.

Crystal saw that he wasn't going to say anything else. Her heart pained and her eyes welled up with tears. "Kevin," she said through her tears, "I don't blame you if you hate me. I'll be going now." She started to turn to run away, but she found she couldn't move. Kevin had teleported to her and had his arms around her waist. "Kevin what are you doing?"

"I'm not going to let you run away again," he said, tears of his own flowing from his sky-blue eyes. "I lost you once, and I'm not going to lose you again! You're the best friend I've ever had and these past few days without you have been absolute misery."

"I thought you'd hate me if I told you I was from the Darkness," she said. "Master Aqua always taught you that Darkness was something that needed to be destroyed."

"I don't care what Aqua says. No matter how dark you are, you don't deserve to be destroyed. I would never do that to you," he said, pouring all the love in his heart out.

"Oh, Kevin," she said, returning his embrace. She cried into his long, shaggy, blond hair.

"Now, let's go home," he said. He looked at her, but she wasn't happy anymore. Her beautiful smile had curled down to a frown. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"I'm sorry, but I can't go home yet. I still have work to do here. I felt the sudden urge to come here. I feel like there could be answers to the questions I've been asking."

"But, I have orders to bring you home," he said. "I can't go home without you."

"I'm sorry, but I'm not coming home. I don't care what Master says. I need answers that he won't give me!" she said.

"I'll come with you, then," Kevin said.

"I have to do this alone," Crystal said. "I'm sorry."

"You apologize too much," he said jokingly. "You sure you can do this alone?" he asked.

Just when he asked, though, a Neoshadow Heartless appeared behind Crystal and pulled its sharp claws back for a swipe. It smelled her strong Darkness and was going to try to steal her heart. "Crystal!" he yelled as he pushed her out of the way. The Neoshadow's claw dug into Kevin's chest.

"Kevin, No!" she screamed in horror as her best friend's heart was taken. The Heartless absorbed Kevin's heart and she knew that somewhere, a new Heartless was created. "I'm gonna kill you, you abomination!" she screamed as she swung her Keyblade at the Neoshadow. Her wickedly sharp blade made contact with the Heartless' throat and its head was violently disconnected with its body. The bloody remains of the Heartless disappeared in a puff of black smoke. She turned to see Kevin's body slowly disappearing. "Kevin!" she yelled as she ran to him. She tried to grab him, but as soon as she made contact with her best friend, he disappeared into millions of little orbs of Light. "Kevin…why did you do that," she whispered through her tears as she soaked in what she had just seen. Kevin, her best friend, had just sacrificed himself to save her. If he hadn't jumped between her and the Heartless, she would have been the one to lose her heart. Kevin had a strong heart and will. Crystal just knew that he would create a Nobody. "Looks like I'm looking for you, now," she said. Determination to find her best friend made her heart gain a little more light, but it was still dark as night.

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><p>Author's Note: Hey guys, what do you think? I liked adding the little cameo with John from "Shattered Hearts." John may also make a cameo in "Hearts of the Olympians." Next chapter will have a little bit more of Kevin than this one did. It will show him dealing with turning into a Nobody. Remember to check out Dragginninja's stories and look for John in "Organization Days." His characters, Xorik and Kirox, will also be appearing in the next chapter of "Her Scars" as Vanitas' friends from Twilight Town. Until next time, friends...<p> 


	3. Now the Dark Begins to Rise

Author's Note: Hey guys, sorry for the late update. I've been working on other things such as "Her Scars" and "Hearts of the Olympians." Next chapter won't be this late. I won't take two weeks next time. Anyway, enjoy friends...

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><p>"Ugh, where am I?" Kevin said, feeling groggy from what had just happened to him. He woke up to find that he was no longer on Radiant Garden. His surroundings looked far more comforting than Hollow Bastion castle. He was on top of a giant clock tower overlooking a quaint little town full of tan, brick buildings. He saw a few shops and people walking up and down the streets. There were some railroad tracks out in the distance that led to the tower. He figured that it must be a train station of some kind.<p>

He found a door that led to a set of stairs and descended down to ground level. He left the train station and wandered around the streets. There was a big sign that said "Welcome to Twilight Town" in big, bold letters. He guessed this world must be called Twilight Town.

Kevin found a little, secluded room in a back alley. It must have been someone's hangout because there was a couch, mini-fridge, and a TV. He didn't care if it was someone else's place, he just had to sit down and think about what had just happened to him. He tried to remember the last series of events that happened before he appeared in Twilight Town. He remembered a Neoshadow was going to attack Crystal. He pushed her away and the creature attacked him instead. He saw the monster pull out his heart…"Oh God no!" he exclaimed. "I've become a Nobody?" He searched himself for his heart and, sure enough, he didn't have a heart anymore. He felt absolutely no emotions. He should have been terrified, hurt, angry, depressed, but he felt none of those things.

Kevin was just about to leave when he heard someone come in. "Hey," the voice exclaimed, "what are you doing here? This is our spot."

He turned to see three people who looked like they were in their mid-twenties. One was a man with sandy blond hair and dark brown eyes. He was the one who called out to Kevin. The other was a short, chubby guy with black hair and dark eyes. And the third was a beautiful young woman with long, flowing brown hair and green eyes. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know it was your place. I'm Kevin," he greeted. "I just appeared here. I don't know how I got here."

"My name is Hayner," the man said. "This is my fiancée Olette, and my best friend Pence. So, you don't know how you got here? Something like this happened about ten years ago with a girl named Kairi."

"I've heard of Kairi. My master speaks very highly of her and her friends, Sora and Riku," Kevin said.

"We knew Sora too," Pence said.

"They really are heroes, aren't they?" Kevin said in amazement. Master Aqua had told him of the things those three had done, the things they'd sacrificed. They had almost died on a number of occasions. When Organization XIII came, they were there. When the Heartless tried to take over the universe, they were there. And when the Olympians appeared and tried to destroy everything, they had selflessly teamed up with Percy Jackson and his friends to fight the gods of Olympus.

"Yeah. So, where are you from?" Hayner asked.

"I'm from a world called Castle Oblivion. But I'm originally from Radiant Garden," Kevin said. "I was orphaned and my Keyblade teacher, Master Aqua, took me in when I was 10. I really owe her a lot."

"I've never heard of either of those places. But Aqua sounds cool," Pence said.

"Cool is an understatement, but anyway, I really need to get back home. It was nice meeting you three," Kevin said. He envied the three of them. He could sense their strong hearts that were full of light. All Kevin could feel was Nothingness.

"It was nice to meet you too, Kevin," Hayner said. Kevin ran outside and tried to summon his Keyblade. He was surprised that he could still use it without his heart. He thought it might be because he was the Nobody of a Keyblade wielder. Sora's Nobody, Roxas, still used a Keyblade. Kevin tossed his Keyblade into the air and it transformed into his motorcycle Keyblade Glider.

"Don't worry, Crystal, I'm coming back," he said. He set off to Radiant Garden in search of his best friend.

* * *

><p>Crystal walked through the familiar streets of Radiant Garden. They had been her home for three years when she was little. She passed many familiar sights. The old bridge she would sleep under was still standing. Even the fruit stand she stole from when she was hungry was still in business. She was both happy and sad seeing her old "home." But as she was walking, she tripped over someone. "Hey, watch where yer a goin' lass," an old man said in a thick, Scottish accent.<p>

"I'm so sorry," she said with her head down, rubbing the spot she hit on the concrete. It was bleeding a little, but it wasn't serious. "I didn't see you." She looked up at the man, but he wasn't a man. He was a small, white duck wearing a top hat, eyeglasses, and a suit jacket. "Uncle Scrooge?"

"How do ya know me and how come ya called me Uncle Scrooge? I don't…," he started to say. "Wait a minute, is that you Crystal? My you've grown, lass! And you're absolutely beautiful!" Scrooge had been one of the reasons she was still alive. He would see her on the streets and bring her food and clothes when she needed them. She started calling him Uncle Scrooge after hearing his nephews, Donald, Huey, Dewey, and Louie, call him that. "I almost didn't recognize you, but those eyes of yours are so unique."

She just stood up and ran over to the elderly duck and wrapped her arms around him. "I'm just glad to see you again, Uncle Scrooge," she said. "Something horrible just happened. My best friend has turned into a Nobody and I don't know how to help him!" Her tears for Kevin flowed from her Darkness-coated eyes like a river.

"Shh, Shh, Crystal," Scrooge said. "Don't worry, lass. It's all gonna be alright. If anyone can find a way to save him, you can."

"I don't know, Uncle," she said through her tears.

Scrooge McDuck just looked her in the eyes. "I know you can do it, lassie. And then you both can come back here for some of my famous Sea-Salt Ice-cream."

"If you say so, Uncle Scrooge," she said. "I guess I'd better be going. I have to find his Heartless."

"Good luck, Crystal," Scrooge said. "My you've grown up so fast! Goodbye Crystal."

"Goodbye Uncle Scrooge." And with that, she set off further into the slums of Radiant Garden. If the rumors she had heard years ago from Aqua and Terra were true, she would find three people that knew a thing about hunting specific people's Heartless.

* * *

><p>Crystal found a door that led into an old, seemingly abandoned building. She knocked, but no one answered. She started to turn and walk away, but heard someone open the door. "Hey, kiddo, what do ya want?" The man spoke with a thick surfer accent.<p>

"Excuse me," she said, "are you Braig?"

"Who wants to know?" he said. She turned to look at him. He looked like he was about fifty years old. He had long, black and gray hair pulled back into a ponytail. His eyes were gold just like hers. Well, she only saw one eye because the other was covered with an eyepatch. He also had deep scars across his face.

"My name is Crystal," she said. She drew her Keyblade in front of her, but didn't point it at Braig. "I'm a Keyblade apprentice. My master is Master Terra."

Braig's face contorted into a look of pure terror. "Oh crap," he said. "He's sent you to kill me, hasn't he?"

"No, it's not like that," she said, dismissing her Keyblade. "I'm not here on Master's behalf. I have some questions I need answered. And why would Master want you dead?"

"Come on in and have a seat, gorgeous. I have some explaining to do," he said as he let her into his home.

Braig talked about how he sided with Master Xehanort and Vanitas twenty years ago. Crystal listened to the older man explain everything. He told her that Master Terra was the one who gave him the scars and took his eye. She didn't feel sorry for him, though. In her mind, he must have deserved it for joining Xehanort. He also told her that he was part of Organization XIII when he was a Nobody. "And that's the whole story, kid," he said.

"Well then," Crystal said. "Now I have something to ask. How do you find a specific person's Heartless? You apparently found your Heartless if you came back as a human."

"Whose Heartless are you wanting to find? Are you a Nobody?" Braig asked.

"No, I'm looking for my friend, Kevin," she said, feeling a tug of pain in her black heart at the mention of her best friend. "He's been turned into a Nobody. I want to destroy his Heartless, defeat his Nobody, and turn him back into a human."

"I'm afraid only he can find his own Heartless," he said.

"But I'm closer to the Darkness than most people, Braig," Crystal pleaded. "Shouldn't there be some way I can do it?"

"Sorry, but If there's a way for normal people to sense other people's Heartless, I don't know it," Braig said with obvious compassion for Crystal's problem.

Their golden eyes met and Braig could see the pain inside Crystal. "Alright," she said with despair in her voice. "I'm sorry I wasted your time, sir."

"It's no problem. It's not very often I get visitors," he said, trying to sound happy for her sake. "Especially ones as pretty as you!"

Crystal blushed at the compliment. "Thanks anyway," she said. Crystal was right back where she started. She didn't even know where Kevin was! In this infinite universe, he could have been anywhere.

"Don't worry about it," he said, reaching out his hand and placing it on her shoulder. "I just know you'll find your friend."

"How do you know?" she asked, puzzled that he would make a statement like that.

"Because you care enough for him to do whatever it takes. It's obvious you love him, kid," Braig said. "Your heart will lead you to him. And one more thing, don't throw your heart away like I did. I made that mistake twenty years ago and paid for it for a whole decade."

Crystal was shocked by his comment about throwing her heart away. She wondered what exactly that meant. That, along with how John told her to remember who her friends were got Crystal thinking hard about the future. Was she destined to fall? Would she give into her innermost Darkness and be completely consumed by it until there was nothing left of her? She quickly dismissed those dark thoughts before they could depress her even more than she already was. "Thanks Braig," she said. "I'll be going now. It was good to meet you."

"Take care, kid," he replied. "And don't tell your Master where I am. I enjoy living."

Crystal chuckled. "Don't worry, I won't," she said. Honestly, she didn't even know if she would ever see Terra again. She didn't know if she would survive even one more day. Crystal was taking things one day at a time.

* * *

><p>Crystal walked through the dark streets of Radiant Garden, soaking in what Braig had told her. This world was so quiet at night so it gave her the silence that was necessary to think deeply about the issues that were swimming in her mind.<p>

She looked up at the sky, wondering what she was going to do next. She almost tilted her head back down to look where she was going, but suddenly, she saw a fireball streaking through the sky. She recognized it as a Keyblade Glider in re-entry. "Kevin!" she exclaimed as she ran toward the area where he landed.

Crystal ran until she was standing at the edge of a large crater. Kevin was standing in the middle, fully clad in his Keyblade Armor. His long, black Keyblade was pointing at Crystal. "Kevin, you're alive!" she screamed as she jumped and slid down the side of the crater to her best friend.

Kevin just stared at her while she ran to him. He had lowered his Keyblade and Crystal embraced him. "Kevin, I'm so glad you're ok. I didn't think I'd ever see you again," she squealed. Her heart of Darkness was full of extreme joy at the sight of her beloved friend.

Kevin was unresponsive to her affection. He felt absolutely nothing for her anymore. And he hated himself that he lost his feelings. It was ironic, really. He'd sacrificed himself to save her because he loved her, but now that he had finally been reunited with his Dark Angel, he didn't love her anymore. "Crystal," he said dryly. "You're still ok. I'm…glad. Or at least I should be."

"What do you mean?" she asked. "Kevin, what's wrong?"

"I should be happy that I finally found you again, but I'm not. I can't feel anything at all. I'm a Nobody," he said in his newfound monotone.

"I know you're a Nobody, but I can help you get your heart back," Crystal said.

"You can't help me," he responded coldly. "You can't even find my Heartless. Only I can do that."

"But I can come with you," she pleaded. She had just been reunited with her best friend. She wasn't ready to part ways again.

"Sorry, Crystal," he said. "I can't let you come with me. I may not be coming back. I might fall into Darkness."

"I won't let you fall into Darkness. I'm Darkness itself," she said, tears flowing from her eyes. "I can keep you from fading away."

"No, you can't," he said darkly. "I have to do this myself just like you have to conquer your Darkness yourself. We have to part ways again."

Crystal's heart broke in half when she heard that. After being separated time and time again, she didn't even know if she could handle another minute away from him. She started to cry, but Kevin wiped her tears away with his thumb. "Don't worry Crystal," he said, trying to remember what love felt like. "We'll see each other again. I'll be human next time we meet. And we can go home together."

"If you say so, Kevin," she said through her tears. She honestly didn't believe that both of them would be going home. John's words from the Keyblade Graveyard were still burning in her mind. To say she was afraid would be an understatement. Crystal was terrified of the future. And that fear caused the Darkness of her heart to grow stronger, suffocating what little light she still had. Her eyes were slowly changing from yellow to an almost reddish color. She felt her breath being slowly taken from her as the tendrils of everlasting Darkness weaved around her already black heart.

Crystal could feel her Darkness trying to take her over. It took everything in her to keep from completely losing herself in the eternal void of her Darkness. "I guess I'd better be going, Crystal," Kevin said with no emotion or inflection in his voice. "Goodbye. And before I go, I want to tell you that when I was a human, I loved you more than you will ever know. And when I get my heart back, I'll love you again."

She looked at him and she could only think of four words. "I love you too," she said.

Kevin planted a quick kiss on her lips, which was really more for her benefit since he couldn't feel anything anyways. "See you again, baby?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said, bushing from the contact. "See you again." Kevin knew the Darkness almost took her over right there. Even though the love he showed was merely artificial, it was real enough to make her small light shine brightly and extinguish the Darkness. Even in the deepest Darkness, a light will always shine within. And Crystal's light was brighter than ever.

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><p>Author's Note: So, how do you guys like this? It was a little shorter than I usually like to do. Remember to check out my other stories. I also recommend Dragginninja and Master'sEnd. They are both great at the styles they do. Dragginninja and I may also collaborate some time in the future, but we're probably going to finish the stories we have so it will be a while. Thank you for taking the time to readreview/subscribe this story. Until next time, friends...


	4. Down With the Sickness

Author's Note: Hey, guys. This is chapter four of "A Heart Divided." Sorry it took so long. Been busy with other stories. There will be two or three more chapters after this one. Enjoy, friends...

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><p>The days passed and seemed to grow longer with every passing hour. Crystal wasn't even sure where she was. The land was a dark, dismal wasteland. There was a sun, but it didn't seem like it was shining brightly. Shadows crept across the land. There were a few trees scattered around, but they were all dead. And if Crystal didn't find some food and water fast, she would be too!<p>

She ran out of food three days before and water last night. She was starving. She could feel her body begin to eat away at itself, trying to get the necessary energy to keep going. She could see her ribs sticking out of her chest, her waistline shrinking even smaller than it already was. Could she be starving to death this fast? Her arms felt weaker as she tried to hold her Keyblade. She used to be able to wield it gracefully with little or no effort. Now, it was a burden to carry. She kept it dismissed most of the time. She'd do that until she got her strength back.

She collapsed on the black sand of the beach and looked across the sea to the Darkness of the horizon. "I'm gonna die here, aren't I?" she asked herself in despair.

"No, you're not," a voice called from the Darkness behind her.

Crystal didn't even have the energy to draw her Keyblade. But the woman the voice belonged to didn't sound threatening. Quite the contrary, she sounded concerned. Crystal turned around to see a beautiful girl with short, black hair, wearing a black trenchcoat. "Who are you?" she asked, not in the angry tone she usually asked strangers that sneak up on her, but in a curious, childlike tone.

"I'm all that's left of a Nobody named Xion," she said. "I exist here in the Realm of Darkness because my essence had to go somewhere when my body was destroyed. The other half of my being is back with Sora, where it belongs."

"You're a part of Sora?" Crystal asked, amazed that she was actually seeing a ghost.

"I was his clone," she said. "I look like a fourteen-year-old Kairi because of Sora's memories of her. I was killed by his Nobody, Roxas, when I tried to absorb him. I can't believe I tried to hurt Roxas." There was pain in the phantom's voice from memories of her life. "Now half of my existence is in Sora, and this half is here, in the Realm of Darkness."

Crystal was feeling a mix of happiness and fear. She was happy that she was home, but afraid because she hadn't been there and apparently Heartless were attacking her now. She didn't think she had the energy to fight anymore. "I can tell you are hungry," Xion's spirit said. The ghost waved her hand and something materialized in front of Crystal. When the light faded, there was a large canteen of water and a basket full of food at the Dark Angel's feet.

"Thank you, Xion," she said as she completely destroyed the meal Xion had provided for her.

"It's no problem," Xion said. "I couldn't just let you die like me." A bright, white light enveloped Xion and she started to fade from existence.

"No, don't go Xion!" Crystal said. But she was too late. Xion disappeared without a trace and Crystal was left alone on the Dark Meridian. "Xion," Crystal said as the loneliness crept into her heart. Its Darkness wrapped around her like a million tentacles. "Ahhh!" she screamed in pain and collapsed to the ground as her Darkness tried to extinguish the faint Light in her heart. She could feel that she was losing herself to the Darkness. "No, I can't! I won't be taken by the Darkness!"

"You can and you will," a malevolent voice called out to her. Crystal looked up through her pain to see an old, bald man with dark skin and pointy ears standing there. He had his hands behind his back and an evil grin on his face. "You belong to the Darkness, young one. It is inevitable that you should fade back into it. It created you, you are its property."

"Created me?" she wondered. "But I had parents, didn't I?" She tried to think back, but she found nothing. She couldn't picture their faces, think of their names, or anything. It's like they never existed.

The elderly man laughed at Crystal's despair. "Child, you are a creation of the Darkness. I had a hand in your birth. My Heartless formed you out of the purest Darkness that he could find. You were such a beautiful creation. I could feel the pure Darkness radiating from you. Your mere existence was a threat to the Realm of Light."

"Why did you create me?" she asked, the Dark Angel furious at the aged Child of Darkness that stood before her. "What do you have to gain from me being alive?"

"Though I'm dead, I still want all my plans to come to fruition," he said. "I desire the X-blade above all else. With it, the true Kingdom Hearts can be unlocked. Within its beautiful Darkness, I can resurrect myself and rule the worlds with Darkness as my ally and you as my slave!"

"I'll never create the X-blade for you, whoever you are," she screamed. "I am my own person. You don't own me!"

"I own you, and you will create the X-blade for me," he said. "And as for who I am, search your feelings. What is the one name that you always held in the back of your mind, the one name you remember from your time in the Realm of Darkness?" The old man grinned as Crystal tried to think.

"Xeh…Xeha…Xehano…Xehanort!" she said. "You're Xehanort? Yes, you are Xehanort."

"Good, my daughter," Master Xehanort said, grinning evilly.

"I'm not your daughter!" she yelled, causing Xehanort to take a step back. Crystal didn't know what made him step back. She didn't think she'd been that intimidating. She didn't try to attack him. She turned her back to him and walked to a calm pool of water to see her reflection. What she saw startled her.

She still looked like herself for the most part. There were a few differences. Her teeth were noticeably sharper, but not quite like fangs. Her golden eyes had turned to a deeper red, similar to John's eyes. She also had a black, purple, and green aura of Darkness surrounding her.

She gasped in shock and quickly turned back around to Master Xehanort. "What did you do to me?" she asked, furious, venom and Darkness coating her every word.

"I did nothing, my child," he said in his aged, raspy voice. "This is your Darkness, not mine. You belong to it. Your foolish Master thought he could protect you, but you will be my slave just as he once was."

"Your slave?" she asked. "What did you do to Master?" Crystal's anger rose and she could feel the Darkness closing in on her. It was warm, comforting even, but also scary.

"Terra gave into the Darkness many years ago," Master Xehanort said, laughing at the memory of it. "I possessed his body and controlled his heart. Those brats Sora, Riku, and Kairi are the only reason I don't possess him to this day."

The Darkness crept into Crystal's heart, staining it black and purple. She let out one more scream as the only Light she ever had was extinguished forever. She was absolute, pure Darkness now. Her heart was no longer divided, it was unbalanced. "I hate you!" she screamed roughly in absolute rage.

"Good, good," he said. "Let the hate take your heart. Let it consume you, Crystal. You will be mine in a matter of minutes."

Crystal was helpless as she collapsed to the ground and writhed in pain. She could feel her selfhood being destroyed. She was now a slave to her Darkness.

"Finally, after sixteen years I finally have my tool to create the second X-blade," Xehanort boasted in triumph. "Now, go seek out a Princess of Heart and fuse with her. You will become the most powerful creature in the universe and be my right hand!" Crystal's mind, though nearly gone, still had enough selfhood to try and fight it, but she couldn't. She was too far gone to turn back now. The Darkness had finally taken over, she had fallen. She was now something even more abominable than a Heartless. Crystal had become a Shadow Wraith. And she knew exactly which Princess of Heart she would absorb.

Kairi.

* * *

><p>Kevin's search for his Heartless seemed to be taking a turn for the better. He'd managed to learn how to tell what kind he'd transformed into. His Heartless was the light-wielding Heartless, Angel Star, most likely due to his strong light.<p>

If Kevin could feel, he would have been getting frustrated. It was like every time he got near his Heartless, it would teleport away. Today would be different, though. He promised himself that.

"Come out, Heartless!" he called out. "If you really are my heart, you'd face me like a man."

The Angel Star appeared in front of him suddenly. They were beautiful Heartless, really. It had an ethereal glow around it. Its body was like a cylindrical light bulb, four white wings protruding from it, two on each side. It had three eyes on the top side of its body. Its looks were deceiving, however. They were some of the deadliest of the varieties of Emblem Heartless. Kevin knew it would be hard to destroy. He also knew what he'd have to do to himself afterward. He was preparing for that.

The Heartless launched a ball of light at Kevin, but he deflected it back. The creature roared in pain as it was knocked out of the sky. Kevin ran over to finish it off, but it just flew back into the air and dodged every spell Kevin sent its way.

Eventually, Kevin realized his tactics weren't working. He had to think of something else or he'd never get his heart back. He tried to think of a spell that the Angel Star would be weak against. He quickly thought of a powerful anti-air spell that Master Aqua taught him.

He dismissed his Keyblade and concentrated. He could feel the wind beginning to pick up around him, charging the atmosphere with energy. He was using a spell called Wind Maelstrom, the most powerful storm-based magic he knew. He unloaded the fury of the storm onto the Heartless and it disintegrated right before his eyes. All that was left was one, single feather.

He picked up the feather and blew it away. "Now for the hard part," he said, artificial sorrow coating his voice for what he was about to do. Kevin had to destroy himself so his body could rejoin his heart. He'd appear back on Radiant Garden, his homeworld. "I'd better get this over with." He drew his long, black, sharp Keyblade and plunged it into his chest. Kevin let out a cry of pain from the blade piercing his body as his Nobody faded away. He felt something he hadn't felt in a while.

It was fear.

* * *

><p>The new, feral Crystal discarded her Keyblade armor. She wouldn't need it anymore. Crystal used her newfound Dark power to open a Corridor of Darkness to the Destiny Islands and charged through.<p>

She appeared on the same stretch of beach that she landed on the first time she came. Crystal started to sniff the air, trying to get a lock on Kairi's scent. She caught Kairi's Light signature and zeroed in on her.

It was nighttime on the Destiny Islands, so everyone was asleep. Feral Crystal slowly picked the door lock with tendrils of Darkness that appeared from her fingertips. The lock gave way with a low 'click,' and the Dark Demon slowly crept into the pitch-black house. With her red eyes that shined like lanterns, Crystal was able to see perfectly in the dark.

She slowly climbed the stairs, passing the kids' room. She looked inside at them and still thought they were adorable, even though her selfhood was nearly lost. She walked past the room and made her way to Sora and Kairi's bedroom.

Crystal entered the room and crept over to the bed. She loomed over Kairi, thirsty for her blood, but also knowing that she couldn't kill Kairi. She came here to make the X-blade with the beautiful Princess of Heart.

She raised her right claw over her head and prepared to plunge it into Kairi's chest, trying to create a bond with their hearts so they could fuse. She slashed downward only to be met with the cold steel of Sora's Kingdom Key. "Crystal?" he asked, barely recognizing her. "What are you doing?"

Crystal hissed and drew her Keyblade. It had changed. It was now almost straight. It was colored black like Kevin's, and it had the Heartless, Nobody, and Unversed emblems as the teeth. She tried to speak, but the transformation warped her vocal cords so much, she sounded demonic, "Dieeee, Keyblade Master!" she hissed as she swung at Sora. He barely missed her extremely sharp Keyblade, tripping over the bed and waking Kairi.

"Sora, what's…oh God, Crystal?" she asked in astonishment. "Crystal, what happened to you?" Crystal took notice of her and went to claim her prize. Sora had broken his leg when he landed after falling off the bed. Crystal tried to plunge her Keyblade into Kairi's heart, but Kairi quickly summoned Destiny's Embrace and deflected it. "Crystal, what's the matter? Why are you trying to kill me?"

"X-blade," Crystal said in her warped, demonic voice. Her eyes started to flash from red back to gold as her consciousness tried to resurface. "Kairi…please…kill me! I'll hurt you if I'm…allowed…to…live! Xehanort…Xehanort wants the…X-blade!" Crystal's demonic side took over once again, but Kairi was ready to defend herself this time. She lunged at Crystal, trying to wound her, but not kill her. Kairi didn't have it in her to end Crystal's life. Crystal deflected the flower-themed Keyblade with her own Keyblade.

Kairi jumped out of the bed, firmly planting her feet on the cold, wood floor. She was making her final stand in her own bedroom. Crystal slashed once again, but Kairi was too fast. Maybe Kairi was too fast for her own good, as she snagged her nightgown on the dresser and fell to the ground with a loud thud, undoubtedly waking the children. Feral Crystal took advantage of this moment and dug her hand into Kairi's chest. Kairi screamed in pain as her pure, once untainted light mixed with Crystal's pure Darkness. "Crystal, why did you do this?" Kairi choked out as she felt Crystal possess her, absorbing Kairi's very essence.

"X-blade," Crystal hissed as Kairi's body disappeared and her mind went into Crystal's black, lightless heart, the newly completed X-blade appearing in Crystal/Kairi's hand. Crystal's appearance changed yet again. Her hair took on a reddish tint, similar to Kairi's crimson hair. And her eyes became purple, mixing Kairi's violet with Crystal's red. Sora's wife ceased to exist as the new X-blade bearer was born. Master Xehanort's plan was slowly coming to fruition again.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: So, what do you guys think of the new chapter? Crystal's transformation into a Shadow Wraith (an original concept of mine) was inspired by the song "Down With the Sickness" by Disturbed. Two more chapters after this and we'll have the conclusion. Thank you to all that read this story. I would really appreciate reviews, however. They let me know what areas I need to improve upon. Don't be afraid to give constructive criticism, just don't flame. I hate flaming. Remember to check out Dragginninja, Master'sEnd, and Maisuki-Chan. They are all three talented writers that don't get nearly enough recognition. Dragginninja and I are collaborating on a new story, Kingdom Hearts: Battle Royale, which pairs KH characters against various characters from other things. Such as: Chad, Rukia, and Ichigo from Bleach, Darth Vader, Ronan from Stargate Atlantis, and Annabeth from Percy Jackson. Until next time, friends...<p> 


	5. My Sanctuary

Author's Note: Hey guys, here's the next to last chapter of "A Heart Divided." I'm going to wrap the whole story up in the next chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed it. As soon as "Hearts of the Olympians" is finished, I'll publish the sequel to this. I was going to publish it after this is finished, but I ended up writing in spoilers for "Hearts of the Olympians." It will be called "Light and Dark" and will be from the PoV of my OC, Yami. She's the daughter of Sora and Kairi. Until next time, friends...

By the way, this chapter shifts a lot. lol. Just to warn you. Enjoy...

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><p>Sora tried to stand, but found that he couldn't. He felt an unbearable pain in his right leg. He looked down to see that his bone was sticking out. "Crap," he thought. This was not the time to break something. He quickly cast a Cura spell on himself and stood. "Kairi, where are you?" he called to his wife. He looked across the half-destroyed room to see a new figure staring at him, bloodlust in her eyes.<p>

The figure had long, reddish-blond hair, purple eyes, and an aura of Darkness and Light around her. She would have been the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen if she hadn't been pointing a strange sword at his face. It was long, around five and a half feet. It looked like two Kingdom Keys crossed at the blades, their guards fusing together to form a handle. A long, glowing blade was coming from in between the two Keyblades. He recognized it as the X-blade. "You've taken Kairi? Riku was right," he said in disbelief. "You were too dangerous to be left alive." Sora shed a single tear for his wife and also for Crystal, who he was prepared to destroy. "You've absorbed Kairi and now, I have to kill both of you." His heart didn't want to, but his mind knew that killing Crystal was the only way to save the worlds from the chaos that the X-blade wielder and Kingdom Hearts would unleash. He knew that it would kill Kairi as well, but he knew, deep down, she'd rather die than be used like this. "I'm so sorry, Kairi. I love you so much. Goodbye, my love."

Sora drew his second, blue Ultima Weapon Keyblade and raised it to his normal battle stance. Crystal charged him, coating the X-blade in Darkness from the darkest pit of her heart. Sora covered Ultima in pure Light and their blades made contact in a violent explosion that sent Crystal through the wall, into the hallway, and sent Sora across the room and almost out the window. The children walked out of their rooms to see what woke them from their sweet, childish dreams. "Mommy?" the redheaded boy asked.

Crystal looked up, her razor-sharp teeth bared. "Mommy's not here anymore, kids," she said in a frightening combination of Crystal's and Kairi's voices. "Mommy's never coming back!"

His big, violet eyes welled up in tears, his anger rising. The brunette girl was going through the same. Just then, bright Lights started to glow from them. It was too much for Crystal/Kairi to take. She jumped up and charged back into the room, prepared to end their father's life.

* * *

><p>Kairi woke up in an endless abyss of Darkness on a large, stained-glass platform. The image on the platform was shocking to her. On the right side, there was Crystal with her Keyblade drawn. On the left, an image of her was facing Crystal. The background had the faces of Sora, Riku, Master Terra, Master Aqua, and Master Xehanort. It also had Castle Oblivion in the background. "Where am I?" she asked.<p>

"You're in my Awakening, Kairi," Crystal said, standing behind Kairi.

Kairi jumped back and drew Destiny's Embrace, prepared to strike Crystal. "You…why did you do this to me?" Kairi asked furiously.

"I didn't want to," Crystal said, tears welling up in her eyes. "Master Xehanort, my 'father,' drove me to give in to my Darkness. Now I wish I'd have just stayed home and listened to my Master. I'm so sorry, Kairi. I messed up so bad and I don't know how to fix it!"

Kairi dismissed her Keyblade and hugged Crystal tightly. "It's ok, Crystal. We'll find some way out of this. Then, we can go back to the people we love."

"Not if I have anything to say about it," a dual voice called from behind them. They turned to see a woman that appeared to be a fusion of both of them, holding the X-blade in her right hand, and Feral Crystal's Keyblade in her left hand. She spoke with both Kairi and Crystal's voices, the sound chilling them to the bone. This new being was something that was never supposed to exist, and they had to end her, even at the cost of their own hearts. They both drew their respective Keys and prepared to defend themselves from the monster. "Aww, how cute," she chuckled sarcastically. "The Keyblade Master and Apprentice are gonna try to destroy me? I hope you two are ready to die!" The dark beast charged toward them, blades prepared to strike, as Crystal and Kairi made their final stand in Crystal's black heart.

* * *

><p>Sora realized that he was outmatched against this new, dark monster that was an unholy fusion of his wife and Crystal. He summoned a spell that would take his children to safety and distract the monster that was trying to kill him.<p>

While Crystal/Kairi was blinded by the bright light he had summoned, he jumped out the window, having already teleported his son and daughter to Disney Castle and left them in the care of the aging King Mickey. He darted down the dark alley, Keyblade in hand, and banged on Riku's front door. "Riku let me in!" he yelled, trying to wake his best friend. "Riku open the door! It's Kairi, she's been possessed by Crystal!"

The prematurely gray Keyblade Master opened the door and Sora practically fell in. "Sora, what are you talking about?"

"Crystal and Kairi have fused! They've created the X-blade and the new personality is trying to kill me and the kids. I've sent Hikari and Yami to Disney Castle, so they're safe for now. But we need to destroy Crystal," he said. "You were right, Riku. We should have killed her all those weeks ago when she was weak and vulnerable." Kairi's possession changed Sora. Before, he would have never considered ending another's life. Before, he had no problem killing Nobodies and Heartless, but Crystal and Kairi were different. They were human beings, despite what they'd become. Sora knew it wasn't their fault. But he also knew that destroying them would protect the worlds from Kingdom Hearts.

"Sora, calm down," Riku said. He was always calm, rarely losing his composure. "Maybe there's a way that we don't have to kill them."

"What are you talking about, Riku?" Sora asked, puzzled by his best friend, as always. Sora's only fault was that he was single minded about things. He could jump to conclusions quickly and become a nervous wreck. Maybe it was because of the constant crisis that he had been faced with since he was fourteen and acquired a Keyblade.

"Maybe they can win the inner struggle," Riku said. "When Ven was possessed by Vanitas and made the X-blade, he fought Vanitas in his Awakening and destroyed him. Unfortunately, he also ended up collapsing half of his heart and we all know the other half is a part of you now."

"So Kairi's gonna die either way?" Sora asked venomously, not directed toward Riku, but toward the thing his wife had been forced to become.

"Not quite," Riku added. "There are two hearts fighting this battle against the X-blade wielder. Their hearts could possibly fuse, one becoming the dominant personality and the other being suppressed. They would choose themselves which one got control over the new body."

Sora's eyes lit up with hope, hope that his wife would be preserved. He felt a tug in his heart. That was grief for Crystal. He hoped Kairi would be the dominant consciousness, but that would mean Crystal would be condemned to spend the rest of her life as a bystander to her own actions, no different than what was happening right now. "You think they can do it, Riku?" he asked curiously.

"I know Kairi, she can do it," Riku said confidently. "If she could defeat Vanitas' spirit in the Underdrome, she can do this little thing." Little did they know, however, that this demonic woman was capable of far worse than Vanitas could have ever imagined.

* * *

><p>Kevin woke up in Radiant Garden, head pounding, but thankful that he had his heart back. If he didn't, then he would have never sensed something was wrong with Crystal. His heart resonated with hers, and whenever something was wrong with one, the other could feel it. Something horrible had happened. He summoned his armor and Keyblade Glider and followed the tug of his heart toward the woman he loved.<p>

His heart led him to a small world covered mostly in water that he'd never seen before, but Master Aqua had told him about it. He landed on the midnight beach on the main island of the Destiny Islands, sure that his best friend was here and in danger. He darted through the streets and was met with a sight he didn't believe.

"Hello Kevin," Crystal/Kairi said. "You're that guy she likes, aren't you?"

"Crystal?" he asked. "Is that you? What happened to you?"

Instead of answering, she slashed at him with the X-blade. Kevin saw it and understood what had happened. "You've become the X-blade. Crystal, how could you let this happen to you?"

"The girl you knew is dead," Crystal/Kairi said sadistically and bluntly. "I killed her slowly in our mutual heart. And I took care of that Keyblade Master Kairi while I was at it."

"You're lying," he said, chuckling. "She's still alive. I can feel her heart. And I didn't come this far to lose her to a Dark abomination like you!" Kevin drew his black Keyblade and slashed downward at Crystal/Kairi. She dodged easily and clipped his shoulder with the X-blade. He felt pain, but didn't let it stop him. Kevin charged up Light in his Keyblade and Crystal/Kairi cringed at the sight of it. Kairi's light was already a little too much for her to handle as it was. Kevin's light was downright painful to her. Kevin slashed and cut at his former friend, his former love, and tried to save Crystal from the demon she had become. He didn't want to kill her, but he didn't think he'd have a choice.

He soon realized, however, that he was outmatched. She matched him blow for blow and he wasn't getting anywhere with his current tactics. He blinded her with one more blast of light and darted through the streets, looking for shelter and other Keyblade wielders.

He tried to sense where the strongest Light was, a trick he picked up from Master Aqua, and found a moderately-sized house with the curtains drawn and the lights off. Kevin knocked furiously on the door. "Help, let me in!" he called out.

Riku answered the door, but just barely cracked it. "Who are you and what do you want," he said, keeping his voice low.

"My name is Kevin, I'm Master Aqua's apprentice," he said breathlessly. "Please, you have to help me. I know you use a Keyblade. My friend, Crystal, she's been turned into the X-blade!"

"I know," Riku replied. "We've been trying to find ways of disposing of her."

Kevin couldn't believe what he was hearing. They were going to kill her, and he knew that it was the only way to stop what she'd become. "Isn't there any other way? I love her, and I don't want to lose her."

"Crystal and Kairi may be able to destroy this new monster from inside their mutual heart. It would collapse both of their hearts, but then they would merge into a new one. One of the personalities would be dominant while the other would fade into oblivion," Riku said. Deep down, Kevin wanted Crystal to be the dominant personality, but then he looked at the worried expression on Sora's face. Kairi was his wife. He loved her and wouldn't be able to go on if Kairi ceased to exist.

"I don't like that one either, but at least that saves one of them," Kevin said.

"That's really all that can be done," Riku said. "Whatever this thing is, she can't be allowed to unlock Kingdom Hearts. That would throw the entire universe into chaos if Master Xehanort's plan succeeded."

"So what do we do while Kairi and Crystal fight this thing from the inside?" Sora asked. "And do you think I should get Roxas to help us?"

"No," Riku said. "You and Roxas need to stay fused. We need you with your full power and all splitting does is weaken you both."

Sora's eyes closed, he shivered, and started speaking with another voice. "But I want to fight too," the new voice said from Sora's mouth. "Namine could die!"

Kevin was thoroughly freaked out by Sora's change. "What's going on here?" he asked in shock.

"Relax," Riku said. "It's just Sora's Nobody, Roxas. He can take over Sora's body whenever Sora lets him."

"Oh, that's completely normal," Kevin said sarcastically, chuckling a little to show that he wasn't trying to be rude. "I was a Nobody not too long ago. I lost my heart to save Crystal, but I found my Heartless and killed it. It wasn't easy either."

"I'd say it wasn't," Riku said. "But enough talk. We've got to distract the X-blade wielder so we can buy Crystal and Kairi some time to destroy her." Kevin silently cast a spell toward Crystal to keep her safe, similar to the one Aqua placed on Kairi twenty years before.

* * *

><p>The new creature screamed as she raced toward Crystal and Kairi, wanting nothing more than their blood on her hands. Crystal and Kairi raised their Keyblades and blocked the demon's attacks. Both were wearing themselves out trying to keep from getting killed.<p>

"Just give up and die," the X-blade wielder said. "It will be so much easier if you just let me end you."

"You don't get it, do you?" Kairi said. "These were our bodies and our hearts. You can't just take them without a fight! I'd rather die fighting you than to give up and let myself be killed easily."

"Yeah, I won't let you control me!" Crystal said, outraged. "All this is my fault and I have to set it right. And destroying you is the first step."

Their Keyblades clashed in a beautiful, deadly dance. They struck like only Keyblade Masters could. Crystal was at the level of Master, but she never took her exam. And at that moment, she doubted she'd ever get to take it.

They were getting nowhere with their tactics. The X-blade wielder was just too powerful for either of them to handle. Crystal and Kairi were sure that they would die there, in Crystal's Awakening. Kairi cast Firaga at the monster, but she deflected it and almost ignited Kairi on fire. Crystal tried to take advantage of the distraction and slid under Crystal/Kairi's legs. Crystal slashed with her Keyblade and made a severe wound in her leg. The Demon screamed in pain as black blood, the blood of a Heartless, flowed from her painful gash. "You'll pay for that, doll face," the Demon said as she used a retaliating slash to try and end Crystal. Crystal barely dodged the slice, the blade cutting a lock of her golden hair. Kairi followed up with Ragnarok. The monster managed to dodge the slashes, but was powerless when Kairi unleashed a rainstorm of laser beams from the tip of Destiny's Embrace. The monster fell down to the ground, her body mangled and full of holes from the blasts penetrating her skin. Crystal and Kairi simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that their opponent was finally dead.

They turned their backs and started to walk away. They were going to try to find a way out of Crystal's heart. Kairi stopped dead in her tracks, however, when she felt a chilling presence. They both turned around to see the Demon standing straight up, her wounds closing with a sickening sound. "You didn't think I'd die so easily, did you?" she asked rhetorically. "I'm just getting started." She, once again, engaged the Keyblade Masters in a fight to the death.

* * *

><p>Kevin, Riku, and Sora walked out into the streets of the main island. The Dark Demon was standing in the road on top of a pile of cars. All of the cars were empty, thankfully. Nobody had been hurt. "You finally decided to let me end you?" she asked. "Did the Keyblade wielders finally give up and decide to join the others in their fate? You know, Sora, I had extra fun killing your wife. She screamed your name in pain as I cut her soft, beautiful skin with Crystal's Keyblade."<p>

"Shut up," Sora screamed.

"Do you want to know what her last words were?"

"I said shut up!"

"Her last words were, 'Sora, I loved you. Why didn't you save me?'"

"Shut up!" Sora was starting to lose all control, exactly as the Demon planned.

"But my favorite part was when I drove the X-blade into her heart. She coughed up so much blood that she choked on her last breath. She was so beautiful when she died. I stood back and admired the wonderful artwork that I had created using her mangled corpse. Her blood was so sweet and delicious. I drank every last drop. Do you want to know what I did to her body after I finished her off?"

"Shut up!" Sora screamed as he charged at her, unsure of whether she was lying about Kairi's death. He prayed that she was lying, but a part of him started to believe her words. He raised his Keyblade and attacked with a maneuver similar to Squall's Rough Divide attack. He was doing exactly what she wanted him to. She raised the X-blade and blocked the powerful Limit Break easily. Sora was sent flying into one of the cars she had thrown across the street.

"Sora," Riku said, worried for his friend. His worries were over, though, when Sora got right back up. Riku leaped and tried to attack the monster. He swiped at her with his long, sharp Keyblade. The Demon deflected his every blow. Sparks flew off his Keyblade and her X-blade as they violently made contact. Things weren't looking too good for Riku.

Kevin joined the fight and tried to even things up. He covered his Black Mage Keyblade with Light, knowing that she had an adverse reaction to it. She started to falter, but kept her guard up. "She just won't give up," Kevin thought to himself. "She really must have some of Crystal in her." Tearfully, he fought to destroy the monster that had been created from Crystal's body, knowing full well that she'd probably die no matter the outcome.

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><p>"Impossible," Kairi said. "There's no way she should have survived that! Those beams went through her heart, lungs, and brain! She should be dead."<p>

"That would have worked if I were just anybody," she said. She let out a quick chuckle. "I can't be killed like that. And you'll never figure out how I can be."

She charged at Crystal and Kairi with the X-blade and Feral Crystal's Keyblade. They were all three so graceful that it appeared that they were dancing amid a storm of sparks. The sound of cold steel striking itself echoed throughout the area.

Suddenly, Kairi got an idea. "Crystal, take my hand," she said. "I think I know what can kill her!"

"What?" she asked. "What do you want us to do?"

"Mix my Light and your Darkness in a beam. We're going to destroy her with it once and for all," Kai said.

Crystal nodded and grabbed Kairi's hand that was holding Destiny's Embrace. The two women concentrated, Darkness and Light appearing on Crystal and Kairi's hands. The opened their eyes and a dual beam shot from the tip of Destiny's Embrace. Crystal/Kairi's eyes widened in horror. "No!" she screamed as the beam pierced her chest. She shrieked in pain as her body began to disappear. Soon, there was nothing left of her. She had been defeated and they had won.

"We actually did it," Crystal said. "But I feel funny."

"I know, I do too," Kairi said. "Our hearts are collapsing. The two halves will fuse and one of us will have to take control."

"You take the body, Kairi," Crystal said, a tear forming in her gold eye. "You have a husband, children, and a home. They need you, Kai."

"But what will happen to you, Crystal? You have people that care about you too," Kairi said.

"Tell them I died," she said. "This was my mistake, so I should be the one to pay for it. I'm so sorry for putting you through this. Can you ever forgive me?"

Kairi quickly embraced Crystal and started to cry into her honey hair. "I already have, Crystal. I know you didn't mean for any of this to happen," she said.

"Goodbye Kairi," she said as she started to fade, her consciousness fading into the darkest parts of their new heart.

"Goodbye, Crystal," Kairi replied as the fallen Keyblade apprentice faded away. Deep down, Kairi knew some part of Crystal would always be there. Maybe she could even keep in contact with her like she could Namine.

"Yeah, she's here, Kai," Namine said, reading Kairi's mind. "Roxas and I have a new friend here." The Nobody giggled.

Kairi smiled as she felt herself regain control of her body.

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><p>Author's Note: So, how did you like it? A lot happened in this chapter, for sure. lol. Drop a review some time and tell me how you like it. Poor Crystal, sacrificing herself like that. I actually debated whether or not I would have her fade. She's not completely gone. Her fractured heart still lives in Kairi. But for the purpose of future stories, I had to have Kairi in control. Remember to check out my other stories if you like this one. And trust me, the others are way better. lol. I don't usually write from third-person, so this was a major style change for me. lol. And do read the stories of my friends, Dragginninja, Master'sEnd, Maisuki-chan, and eolhcsullivan452. Next chapter is the conclusion of the story. Until next time, friends...<p> 


	6. Simple and Clean

Author's Note: Tis a sad day, friends. It is the day I finished "A Heart Divided." This is the last chapter and wraps up all the loose ends. I'd like to thank you all who have read, faved, and reviewed this story and hope people will continue to read this in the future. After "Hearts of the Olympians" is finished, I'll publish the sequel to this story. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Enjoy, friends...

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><p>Kevin, Sora, and Riku were fighting a losing battle against the dark Demon. They were about to give up hope when suddenly, she doubled over in pain. "This can't happen," she screamed as she fell to the ground, her back arching in pain and her breathing becoming rapid and shallow. She let out one more terrifying howl of pain when a bright light erupted out of her chest. "This can't be the end!"<p>

Kevin took the risk of approaching her when the light faded. "Crystal? Kairi?" he asked. "Is it one of you?"

"What happened? Where am I?" she asked. It was Kairi's voice. Kevin suppressed his feelings of sadness because Kairi was in control. He knew, somehow though, his friend was still alive at some level.

A tear left his eye. "You're safe, Master Kairi," Kevin said. "You two actually won."

"Kairi?" Sora asked. "Is it really you?"

"Of course it's me, Sor," she said questioningly. "Don't you recognize your own wife?"

"You don't look like yourself," he said.

"What do you mean?"

"Look at your reflection," he replied.

Kairi walked to a car that still had its side mirrors and looked at herself. "No, it can't be!" she said. She still looked like the X-blade wielder. She began to cry, knowing that every time she looked at her reflection, she'd see the image of the monster that tried to kill everyone she held dear.

"Kairi," Sora said. She fell into his arms and cried.

"Sora, I'll understand if you don't love me anymore," she said tearfully, tripping over each word through her sobs. "Who could love this body?"

He pulled her head up by her chin so he could look into her purple eyes. "Kairi, I still love you. No matter what you look like, you're still the same girl I grew up with, the same one I sacrificed my heart for at Hollow Bastion, the same that rescued me from being a Heartless, and the same woman that I promised to love 'til death do us part.' I love you Kairi, and nothing will ever change that! You're my wife, the mother of my two children, and the love of my life."

"I love you, Sora," she said. "Speaking of the children, did I hurt Yami and Hikari? Are they alright?"

"They're fine. I sent them to Disney Castle. The King is taking care of them," he said.

"Thank God," she sighed in relief. "If I would have hurt them, I don't know what I would do!"

Riku walked over to them, still holding Way to the Dawn. "Are you sure that you're really you, Kairi? Something's different about you. I sense…Darkness in your heart."

"Darkness?" she asked. "I'm a Princess of Heart. I can't have Darkness in my heart. It's impossible."

"Not really," Riku replied. "You don't have the same heart that you used to have. Only half of your pure-light heart still exists. The other half is what's left of Crystal's heart. The two halves have created a new, balanced heart. You're not a Princess of Heart anymore."

Kairi was a little saddened about losing her pure light, but it didn't get to her that much. She was just thankful to be alive and with the people she loved. "So now there are only six Princesses?"

"No," Riku replied. "There always has to be seven. Maleficent explained everything to me years ago. When a Princess of Heart either dies, gets corrupted by Darkness, or has her heart destroyed, a new Princess is born to replace her. I don't understand how the whole thing works or what the determining factors are for who becomes the new Princess, but there's a little newborn girl out there with a heart of Light to take your place."

Kairi looked back at her reflection. She saw the face of the monster that tried to kill her friends and family. But something changed in that moment. She didn't see herself. Crystal's face flashed in front of her and smiled. Kairi smiled back. "Thank you, Crystal," she said. "You've sacrificed so much." Crystal mouthed, "You're welcome." Kairi heard her voice in her mind and a tear escaped her eye. "Kairi, don't be sad. I'm fine here. Roxas and Namine are awesome! And their daughter is so adorable!" Kairi had known that somehow Roxas had gotten Namine pregnant a few years ago. She didn't dare try to figure out how that was possible, though. She was just happy that her Nobody got to share the joy of being a mother just like she had.

"Kevin," Kairi said, "I'm sorry that it's me who took over this body. Crystal was the one who insisted that I take control."

"That sounds about like her," he chuckled. "She's always sacrificing for others. I'll miss her so much, but at least she's safe."

"And she knows how much you loved her," Kairi added.

"Yeah," he said, looking down at the ground. Kairi hugged him and took him by surprise. "Thank you, Master Kairi."

"You're welcome. You looked like you needed it," she said. "Don't worry. Crystal is still conscious and alive."

"I know," Kevin said. "I'd probably better get going. I need to tell Master Terra and Master Aqua about what happened."

Sora walked over and put a hand on Kevin's shoulder. "Break the news to them easy. Terra's been through a whole lot more than even we have."

"Yeah," he said.

"Crystal told me to tell everyone that she died," Kairi said. "She doesn't want Master Terra or Master Aqua to know because she's afraid of what they'd try to do. Terra loved her like a daughter and I would guarantee that he'd risk falling into Darkness again to bring her back."

"Alright," Kevin replied. "It won't be easy to lie to them like that, but it's what Crystal wants." They all stood there and helped Kevin plan out how he would tell Terra and Aqua of Crystal's false death. They didn't see a figure in a black, hooded trenchcoat watching them from the rooftops. He stood up from his crouch and removed his hood to reveal his flowing, black hair and reddish-amber eyes.

"You did it, Crystal," John said. "You defeated your Darkness. This is why I couldn't tell you what was going to happen. You needed to find the strength on your own. And you took my advice about remembering who your friends were. Kairi gave you the additional strength that you needed to destroy your dark other. You truly were a brave girl and a great Keyblade wielder. It was an honor to know you for the brief time I did." John opened a corridor of Darkness and disappeared from the Destiny Islands, waiting until he'd be needed again. He wondered what was lying ahead in Yami and Hikari's future. Whatever it was, he knew that they would be more than able to handle it and that he'd probably play a part in it. He wanted a surprise for a change, so he didn't go forward to that time. He'd wait patiently for that time to come.

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><p>Master Terra sat in the audience chamber of Castle Oblivion. It had once been the Chamber of Waking that held the body of his fallen friend Ventus. Now, it was used for meetings and Mark of Mastery exams. He sat there, his sky-blue eyes filled with worry. He sensed something wasn't right, and he feared for his beloved student. "Crystal, Kevin, what is taking you two so long?" he wondered.<p>

Just then, the door swung open and a beautiful, blue-haired woman materialized in front of him, panting and trying to catch her breath. "Terra, Kevin's back," Master Aqua managed to say through her deep breaths.

"Is Crystal with him?" he asked. "Is she safe?"

"I didn't see her glider, only his," she added, killing any hope Terra had for ever seeing Crystal again.

"I see," he said as he put his right hand on his face and massaged his temples. Master Aqua gently wrapped her arms around him and tried to ease his mind. "Aqua…what do you think happened?"

"I don't know," she said. "I sensed great Darkness coming from the Destiny Islands, though. It was a familiar Darkness. We've seen it before."

"I know. I felt it too," he said. "It was like when Vanitas possessed Ven. You don't think Crystal became the X-blade, do you?" He looked into her stunning blue eyes, hoping that she would say no. He and Aqua shared the deepest friendship that two people could possibly have. In fact, you could even say he loved her.

"It's hard to say," she said. But he knew she was just trying to make him feel better. He knew for a fact that the Darkness he felt was from the X-blade being forged. He knew that Crystal had fallen into Darkness.

Kevin walked into the room, alone. "Masters," he addressed them reverently. "I'm sorry to say that I have bad news." Kevin was holding back tears. "Crystal is dead. She was killed by the X-blade wielder while she and Kairi were fighting her inside their heart."

Master Terra stood up from his throne and walked over to Kevin. He placed his right hand on Kevin's left shoulder and looked at the young man, who was about the same height as he was. "Master Terra, I'm so sorry. I promised that I'd bring her back safe and I failed you," Kevin fervently apologized. "I don't deserve this Keyblade and I don't deserve your forgiveness, but will you please forgive me?"

Terra just looked at him. "Kevin, it's not your fault. And I know that Crystal would smack you right in the face for talking like that," Terra said, trying to lighten up the mood with a witty comment about her. "She was strong to the end. I know she didn't die without a fight. I bet she gave the X-blade a good, hard battle like my friend Ven did with Vanitas." Terra was holding back tears and so much pain from the supposed loss of Crystal.

"Yeah, she probably did," Kevin said, knowing in his heart that Crystal was alive and well inside Kairi. He couldn't tell Aqua or Terra that, of course. Crystal didn't want them to know and develop hard feelings toward Kairi for being in control. She hadn't even originally wanted Kevin to know she was alive, but Kairi told him anyway. "If I may, I'd like to go to my room and be alone for a while. It's just so unreal how she's dead and I just need to be alone."

"Go on ahead, Kevin," Aqua said. She walked to her apprentice and embraced him tightly. "You know, you're like the son I never had. I love you like you were my own."

"Thank you Master," he said. "I love you like you were my mom. It's an honor to be your apprentice."

"The honor is all mine," she said. The still-beautiful Keyblade Master let go of Kevin and walked over to stand next to Terra.

"Goodnight, Masters," he said.

"See you in the morning for training? I have a surprise for you," his master asked.

"What kind of surprise?" Kevin inquired, not thinking he deserved any surprise.

"I think we should just tell him, Aqua," Terra interjected. He turned to Kevin. "You will be taking your Mark of Mastery exam tomorrow. We were going to give the exam to both you and Crystal when you returned with her, but since she's passed on you will be taking it alone."

"Thank you Masters," he said, bowing reverently before going to his room. So much had happened in so little time. He couldn't believe that Crystal was actually gone. Absorbed by Kairi, he'd never see her again. A tear trailed down his cheek as he thought of her. He remembered that single kiss he'd placed on her lips while he was a Nobody. He didn't feel it then, but the memory of that brought back emotions that were waiting for his heart. He re-lived that moment in his mind. Her taste was sweeter than anything he'd ever experienced in his life, human or Nobody. He missed her so much, but knew that she was happy where she was. Kairi's heart was her home now, and she wouldn't be alone. She could talk to Kairi or Namine any time she wanted and relay messages to him through Kairi. He eventually drifted into a deep sleep, letting the events of the last month and a half melt away and be replaced with dreams about Crystal. He would miss her, but life would go on for him. And she would live on as long as Kairi lived. Her heart finally found a place where it belonged.

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><p>Author's Note: So, how did you guys like it? I hope this brought some closure to the whole storyline. Rememberr to check out my other stories and the stories of my friends. They are all talented authors. I've started publishing my stories on DeviantART as well. I have drawings of Kevin and Crystal's Keyblades on my profile. I'll be publishing stories there regularly and drawings occasionally. Thank you all for reading this story, and I hope you will continue to read my stories in the future. Goodbye, and take care. Until next time...<p> 


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